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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24120709">keep standing when the world falls down</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonglass/pseuds/demonglass'>demonglass</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Blood and Injury, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Tenderness, escaping But Just Barely, love as motivation for staying alive type shit, no one dies I promise, renjun has a crowbar, running away from and fighting zombies, they do be in love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:28:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,500</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24120709</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonglass/pseuds/demonglass</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the end of the world, but Renjun and Donghyuck will be damned if it's the end of them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Huang Ren Jun/Lee Donghyuck | Haechan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>103</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>keep standing when the world falls down</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>basically i saw <a href="https://twitter.com/je_oh_no/status/1190806405453930497?s=20">fanart</a> on twitter at 1am the other night and then.....this happened </p><p>this one goes out to all my mutuals who did NOT talk me out of writing this when i asked to be stopped. look at what u have done to me. i hope ur happy</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Time moves strangely after the end of the world. </p><p>Most moments race by like wild, runaway stallions, blurring together in a rush of wind. Hours can disappear in the blink of an eye when you’re fighting, running, cheating death with every breath you take. And yet there are some moments when the whole world stands still in between one heartbeat and the next - moments burned into memory, impossible to forget.</p><p>When you can die at any moment, you find that life happens in vivid flashes.</p><p>Renjun wishes he could pick and choose which moments seem to last a lifetime; this isn’t one he wants to drag out.</p><p>Back to back, bodies tensed. Renjun’s breath feels stuck in his lungs, caught in his throat. His arms ache like they used to after long tennis matches, after too-long training sessions. But his hands are clutched tight around a crowbar now, not a racket. Days of playing games are long gone. Stiff legs and stomach turning, he allows himself half a second of focus solely on the familiar pressure of Donghyuck’s back against his. </p><p>The world is chaos around them, but this heartbeat of reprieve, of contact, is grounding. </p><p>Renjun’s grip on the crowbar steadies even as blood seeps into his bike gloves and coats his fingers. The blood is cold; it isn’t his. His hair is plastered to his forehead with sweat and things he’d rather not think of, and he has to narrow his eyes to see. </p><p>What he sees is a nightmare: decaying bodies moving in mass, drawn in by the gunshots that had echoed through the woods moments ago. What he sees is death, the promise of something <em> worse </em> than death: rotting skin and exposed bone, blood and guts and ever dangerous teeth. He has to swallow hard to keep from vomiting. His eyes move quickly, darting back and forth in search of something that will help, in search of <em> anything </em>. </p><p>The sound of groaning, low and unending, makes it hard to think. There’s shouting in the distance, growing fainter, but he barely hears it over the deep roar of dozens of hollow voices crying to the afterlife. He can hear Donghyuck’s shallow breathing, though, and the gravel grinding under their shoes. He can hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears, his blood rushing. </p><p>Time slows down just long enough for Renjun to register every drop of fear flooding his body. </p><p>Even overwhelmed as he is, Renjun’s searching eyes catch a gap in the throngs of bodies, a parting in the sea of corpses. His elbow knocks back against Donghyuck and he hisses <em> over here </em>. He can feel Donghyuck turning, hear the gravel kick up under his feet as he takes a step. </p><p>And then he blinks, and when his eyes open again there’s an unrecognizable face swinging towards him, a broken body swiveling to face him. A single fogged-over eye locks on Renjun, and time snaps forward again. </p><p>The creature lets out a loud gnashing, hissing sound, and takes a halting step towards Renjun. He springs into action, all his tightly coiled muscles releasing like a bullet fired from the barrel of a gun. The creature’s arms are up, reaching for Renjun like it wants to grab him by the shoulders and tear him apart (it does). Renjun’s crowbar is an extension of him, though, and it gives him an arm that is longer and stronger than brittle bones and exposed flesh. </p><p>Sprinting forward, Renjun swings the metal bar out in one swift motion. It hits the creature’s left arm, tears it right out of the socket, and the follow-through lodges the hooked end straight through the creature’s cheek. Renjun yanks the crowbar back and half the creature’s face is ripped away with a sickening crack. Blood spurts out at Renjun, but he’s already dodging the creature’s other arm, swinging at it again. </p><p>The second hit lands right on the creature’s head, the sharpened end of the crowbar crunching through skull as it cuts right to the brain. The creature stops its groaning and hissing, stops trying to claw through Renjun’s clothes to reach his skin. Renjun yanks again and the crowbar leaves a gaping hole where it breaks free from the creature’s head. Renjun is running forward again before the creature even drops to the ground, finally motionless. </p><p>In his periphery, he can see Donghyuck ripping a knife out of another dead thing’s head, taking off after Renjun. By now, their commotion has drawn other milky eyes towards them, and there are too many of the creatures to fight, so their only chance is to run. </p><p>Renjun’s shins scream where he’s splinted the muscles, his chest heaves, his eyes sting something furious as he blinks through grime, and yet Renjun remains in motion. If he stops, or even slows, the pain will only be worse. So he pushes his body past its limit and kicks up gravel and clouds of dust as he cuts through the gap in the swarm. He dodges arms reaching for him, cracks exposed bones in the face another creature, and reaches the open air just past the last of them. </p><p>Donghyuck pulls up even with him just past the edge of the throng, and Renjun is gripped by cold fear. Donghyuck’s legs are longer than his, and he’s practiced in his running from years of wind sprints and endurance building. Renjun has a sharp precision in his fighting that Donghyuck lacks, but at least that can be made up for with brute force and strength. Here, in the race, Renjun is at a disadvantage he can’t combat. </p><p>The wind hisses harsh and frigid against his skin and down his throat as he drags in breath after breath, and he feels it push against him, trying to hold him back. Donghyuck is paces ahead of him now, and the sound of shuffling footsteps behind them is still far too close for comfort. Renjun doesn’t dare look back, but he knows they’re being pursued by too many of the creatures to handle on their own. </p><p>Time grows thin, threatening to slip through Renjun’s fingers, and he’s terrified it will leave him entirely. But his time can’t be up now, not when Donghyuck is still close enough to throw a glance over his shoulder and meet Renjun’s eyes for a split second. Not when Donghyuck is wild and thrumming with life, just an arm’s reach away, urging Renjun forward. </p><p>So Renjun grips his crowbar tight in one fist, the hands of time in his other. He’ll see the sunrise tomorrow, he won’t let this be his last day. </p><p>The gap between him and Donghyuck doesn’t shrink, but Donghyuck pushes himself faster and Renjun doesn’t fall behind no matter how the pain shooting through his legs and piercing his ribs makes him want to scream. </p><p>They make it off the gravel path, running away from where gunshots had echoed in the woods, and there’s nothing but the sound of their heavy breathing, sneakers slamming against the crumbling asphalt of the road, and the sea of death behind them, hissing and groaning like waves against the shore, eager to drag the living under. </p><p>Just as Renjun thinks they’re starting to put real distance between themselves and the swarm, just when hope starts to creep in alongside his fear, it falls apart. </p><p>Donghyuck stumbles in a fissure in the road and goes crashing to his hands and knees, knife knocked from his grip and clattering to the ground too far away to reach. Renjun is at Donghyuck’s side in an instant, hand gripped in the fabric of his shirt and dragging him up and onwards again. </p><p>Donghyuck is quick to scramble to his feet again, but they’ve lost time and a precious lead. Donghyuck’s knife is gone, and though one is still strapped at his side with their gun, it’s inaccessible while they run. It’s a necessary trade to make for the time they need to stay ahead of the dead, but when the path ahead reveals another of the creatures standing in their way, Donghyuck curses like venom.</p><p>They won’t make it if they turn off the road, so the only option is to keep running right at the creature, Renjun’s crowbar their sole line of defense. A few seconds shy of reaching the creature, its rotting face swivels to angle right at them, and its aimless steps gain terrible purpose. </p><p>Renjun grits his teeth and grips the crowbar tighter, raising it up in the nick of time to swing right at the creature’s temple. The curved end digs in and Renjun rips it back out. The force of the attack throws him off balance, and he staggers back a step as the creature’s face tears apart at the seams. It’s not enough, though, because its teeth keep gnashing, arms still reaching forward as it grabs blindly for him. </p><p>The sound of the wave of their pursuers grows louder, and Renjun’s grip on the time he has left grows loose even as he tightens his hold on the crowbar. One more swing should finish this one off, but what about the rest? He’ll lose too much time here, and his legs will give out the moment he stops moving. The thoughts fly through his mind too fast to catch, and it means he doesn’t get any chance to dwell on them before the world is yet again shifting around him. </p><p>While he’s steadying himself to ready the last blow against the creature, Donghyuck beats him to it. Between one moment and the next, Donghyuck has pulled the knife from its holster and buried it through the side of the creature’s head. The creature goes still and drops like a stone when Donghyuck yanks the knife back out, but Renjun can’t spare a breath of relief before Donghyuck’s free hand is gripping his wrist and they’re both stumbling forward again. </p><p>“The car,” Donghyuck gasps, chest heaving with effort as he runs. He can’t say more, but Renjun knows what he’s talking about: they’d passed an abandoned car in the road earlier, had assumed it was dead or out of gas. Then, it hadn’t been of any use to them, but now it might be their only chance. They’re too far from the safehouse to make it on foot in their conditions, and even if the car only runs for a minute, it could give them the edge they need to get away. </p><p>So Renjun pushes himself harder, just a little farther along now. With a destination in mind, it’s almost easier to let his body break and tear- it’s the knowledge that it’ll be over soon, praying that it won’t be for <em> good </em>. </p><p>Renjun keeps his eyes on the pavement underfoot, watching out for cracks and divots so neither of them fall again. He doesn’t see the car until Donghyuck curses in as close to relief as they can get. Renjun barely hears himself say <em> shotgun </em>, but he must, because Donghyuck angles away from him and they leave each other’s sides to approach the car from different directions.</p><p>Donghyuck reaches the driver’s side first and yanks on the door, and by some miracle it isn’t locked. He dives into the car and slams the door shut behind himself just as Renjun reaches the handle on the passenger side. He follows Donghyuck’s lead, and tugs the door shut, dropping the crowbar in his lap as he twists in the seat to find Donghyuck scrambling for keys. </p><p>“Glovebox!” Donghyuck says, voice panicked. </p><p>Renjun forces the glovebox open and fumbles blindly inside, fingers closing around something cold and plastic. He pulls a flathead screwdriver out and twists to jam it in the ignition when he finds Donghyuck ripping the wires out from under the steering wheel. </p><p>The car lights up just as the first creature reaches it, Donghyuck cursing as he jams a finger under the wheel while twisting the power wires together. “Renjun, knife!” Donghyuck shouts from where he’s bent over in the driver’s seat.</p><p>“Right!” Renjun’s eyes dart to the center console to find Donghyuck’s knife, and he grabs it with his good hand, gripping the crowbar in his other. </p><p>The creatures are crowding around the car now, destroyed hands and arms banging against the doors and windows. Renjun hits the lock button with his elbow, but the real threat isn’t the creatures opening the doors, not when they’re beating relentlessly against the windows, unfeeling in death, immune to pain, and the glass trembles under the force of the onslaught. </p><p>Donghyuck is still trying to spark the starter wires under the dashboard, and Renjun is so tense he’s shaking. It’s only a matter of time before the windows shatter and reaching arms (and worse) force their way into the car, and Donghyuck is defenseless while working on hotwiring the car, making Renjun their only defense. He’s armed with nothing but a knife and a crowbar. He doesn’t like the odds. </p><p>
  <em> Don’t panic. Don’t panic.  </em>
</p><p>Splinters shoot through the glass of the driver side window, distorting the image of what lies beyond the car. Broken fists pound ceaselessly against it, and Renjun realizes they have even less time than he thought before the car can no longer protect them. </p><p>Donghyuck yelps and there’s a spark of light under the wheel, and suddenly the engine is whirring to life. Donghyuck scrambles up so he’s sitting and grabs for the screwdriver that’s sticking out of the ignition. He turns it, and the engine revs, but the car doesn’t start all the way. </p><p>One second, there’s a curse on his tongue as he tries again, Renjun watching the glass behind him turn into a spiderweb of veiny cracks, and the next they’re both shouting. The glass finally gives, shattering under too many hits from the bones of the dead, and it sends a shower of razor-sharp shards raining into the car.</p><p>Donghyuck flattens himself against the steering wheel, head turned away from the window to try and avoid the worst of the spray, but he can’t escape it all. Renjun throws his arms over his face and neck, but only for a moment. He’s not sure if any of the glass gets him - too flooded with adrenaline to feel any new cuts - but the glass isn’t what he’s afraid of. </p><p>Arms reach through the gaping hole where the creatures have punched out the window as the creatures try to force their way into the car. One of the creatures’ hands grazes Donghyuck’s back and Renjun’s mind goes blank; he stops thinking and just <em> moves.  </em></p><p>He jabs out with the crowbar, hitting the creature at the window square in the shoulder and piercing rotting flesh, and pushes himself forward so he’s covering Donghyuck’s body with his own, right hand raised with his knife at the ready. The momentum of the move gathers in his fist, and he drives the knife straight through the creature’s milky eye as soon as he’s close enough. </p><p>There’s a sickening sound as the hilt of the knife hits bone and can dig in no further, but there’s no time to be disgusted by it. Renjun rips the knife back out and the creature slumps against the window, one motionless arm still hanging inside the car. Renjun shoves it back with the crowbar, and as it falls away from the car, it knocks another of the creatures back. </p><p>The brief window of opportunity is just what they need.</p><p>Donghyuck revs the engine again, and this time it takes. The car starts and he slams on the gas, sending the car screeching forward. Renjun is thrown against the back of the seat by the sudden motion, but relief is what hits him hardest, not pain. The mob of creatures pounding on the doors are knocked back, and the car slips away from them, driving down the road faster than the walkers can follow.</p><p>Renjun clambors back into the passenger seat, and Donghyuck peels himself off of the wheel so he can steer for real, keep them from careening off into the woods. Cold air whistles through the smashed window and Renjun shivers. When the shivers pass, though, he’s still shaking. </p><p>“Are you okay?” His voice trembles even worse than he does, but his eyes are focused on Donghyuck, on the cuts on his neck and the blood seeping through his clothes.</p><p>“I’m alive,” Donghyuck says, not looking away from the road. “You?”</p><p>“Alive,” Renjun’s breathless, crashing down from the adrenaline high. He realizes he’s still clutching the knife and crowbar like his life depends on it. He lets the knife drop onto the center console, lays the crowbar across his lap. His eyes shift to scan the woods, watching for any more of the creatures. While the car is running, it could attract any that are nearby, so he has to be ready. </p><p>“How far from camp are we?” Donghyuck asks, and he sounds winded too. </p><p>“I don’t know,” Renjun says. Fear starts to creep back up his spine. </p><p>“We’re on fumes,” Donghyuck says, gripping the wheel too tight. “Definitely not gonna make it all the way there.” </p><p>Renjun swallows, dread pooling in his stomach all over again. “Do you think we’ll get close enough to radio the others?” His right hand jumps to the transceiver clipped to his belt to make sure what he feels isn’t a phantom pressure, that their one way of communicating with their team hasn’t been lost. A whisper of relief curls through him when he finds that it is in fact still there, safely tucked under his sweatshirt.</p><p>“We will,” Donghyuck answers, no room for argument. “We’ll coast as far as we can and then go on foot until we get signal if that isn’t enough.”</p><p>“On foot…” Renjun echoes, face twisting in a grimace. As the adrenaline fades, he’s becoming all too aware of the pain shooting through him. His legs alone are enough to make his eyes burn with unshed tears. The thought of even walking with the splinted muscles at his shins seems like too much to bear. </p><p>Donghyuck loosens his grip on the wheel, shifts one hand off of it to reach across the console for Renjun’s. He wraps his fingers around Renjun’s hand and the contact is grounding, keeps Renjun from getting lost in his pain and fear. </p><p>Renjun is able to let out a breath, shift his hand so he can thread his fingers through Donghyuck’s and squeeze gently. “Okay,” he says, hoping he sounds more sure than he feels. “We’re gonna make it back.”</p><p>“Yeah. We’re gonna make it.” Donghyuck keeps his eyes on the road and the woods, on the lookout just like Renjun, but his hand doesn’t move from where it’s clutching Renjun’s. </p><p>They make it to a small hill and the car coasts all the way down, engine sputtering until it gives out within a minute after reaching the bottom. The car rolls to a stop. They still don’t have radio signal. </p><p>There are no creatures in sight, so Renjun swallows hard and lets Donghyuck’s hand go. Donghyuck tugs the screwdriver from the ignition and takes the knife from the center console. Renjun closes his fist around the crowbar once more. They open the car doors and step out onto the street. Immediately, Renjun’s body screams for him to stop, legs threatening to give out with each step he takes away from the car. He forces himself forward, trying to drown out the pain by focusing on the sound of Donghyuck’s breathing as he reclaims his place at Renjun’s side.</p><p>“You watch right, I’ll watch left?” Donghyuck says, voice low.</p><p>Renjun makes a sound of affirmation, keeps it in his throat because if he opens his mouth he might cry out. Donghyuck understands. </p><p>They walk as fast as they can (slower than they should) with tense bodies and alert eyes. Donghyuck keeps looking back over his shoulder to make sure there’s nothing creeping up on them from behind, and Renjun watches the horizon and the treeline for anything that moves. Every few steps, Donghyuck’s hand brushes against his, and Renjun chases it, uses it to keep himself going. </p><p>When the car is far enough behind them that he can’t see it anymore in quick glances down the path they’ve already walked, Renjun realizes Donghyuck is chasing the contact too. In that moment, Renjun remembers that he’s keeping Donghyuck alive just as much as Donghyuck is him. The thought gives Renjun strength even as he feels like he could crumble at any moment.  </p><p>Another twenty paces and Renjun finally hears it: a short crackle of static. His eyes go wide and he shifts the crowbar into his bad hand in an instant, reaching back to unclip the radio from his belt. He jams his thumb on the button and brings it to his lips. </p><p>“Guys, <em> guys </em>! Is anyone there?” </p><p>He releases the button and waits, nearly holding his breath. For a long moment, there’s nothing but flashes of more static, and Renjun’s chest squeezes like his heart is being crushed.</p><p>Then, “<em> Renjun </em>?”</p><p>“Mark! We need help,” Renjun says, trying to keep his voice from breaking.</p><p>“What happened?” Mark asks, and Renjun can hear that he’s flooded with worry even though the crackling line.</p><p>“There were gunshots near us and then we got swarmed. We got away but we can’t make it back.”</p><p>“Where are you? Jeno and Jaemin just got back, I’ll send them.”</p><p>“The south road. We- <em> fuck,” </em>Renjun cuts the communication off, rushing to clip the radio back to his belt so he can grip the crowbar with both hands. Just down the road from where he and Donghyuck are standing, three of the creatures are staggering straight towards them. </p><p><em> “Renjun?” </em> Mark’s voice hisses, muffled from under Renjun’s clothes, but Renjun can’t pay it any mind. Just a moment after Renjun sees the creatures, the creatures notice <em> them </em>. </p><p>Donghyuck clutches his knife in his right hand, the screwdriver in his left, uncaring of how it strains the bandaged skin of his knuckles, and tenses at Renjun’s side. “Fight?” </p><p>“We can’t run,” Renjun says, dread a leaden weight in his stomach. </p><p>The creatures are heading towards them too quickly for them to make any sort of plan. All Donghyuck can say is, “We’ve taken more.” It does little to lessen the fright, but Renjun steels himself with the words regardless. <em> They’ve fought more before. They’ve lived through worse. They’ll make it through this, too.  </em></p><p>“You take left,” he says, raising his crowbar to ready himself. </p><p>Donghyuck nods, tense, and the creatures reach them.</p><p>One of the three lags just enough behind the others to give Renjun and Donghyuck a fighting chance. Renjun is aware of Donghyuck going right for the kill with his knife angled at his creature’s face, but that’s all he processes before his focus is on the creature in front of him and nothing else. Its arms are out, broken fingers reaching for Renjun, trying to trap him, so he swings hard with the crowbar, batting them away. </p><p>One arm tears half out of the socket, the other snaps at the elbow, but the creature just keeps coming. The dead don’t feel pain, and it gives them a leg up on the living despite their decrepit forms.</p><p>Renjun draws the crowbar back and strikes again with a strained cry, this time landing the curved end of the tool where the creature’s ear should be, but no longer is. The crowbar digs in, and Renjun follows through on the swing to send the creature careening sideways into the third one as it reaches him. Both corpses stagger to the side as they knock into each other, and Renjun uses the opportunity to rip the crowbar back out of the creature’s rotting flesh and deal a final blow. </p><p>He sees a flash of Donghyuck’s knife, sees him approach the final creature from behind, and jumps clear when Donghyuck stabs both the knife and screwdriver through the creature’s cracked skull, sending it falling forward into the spot Renjun had just been standing. </p><p>Chest heaving, <em> burning </em>, Renjun takes in all three corpses lying on the ground, unmoving. He looks up to find Donghyuck’s eyes jump from the dead up to him. Static whines through the radio, and Renjun takes a step forward, away from the creatures. </p><p>One step is all he gets before his legs give out.</p><p>Renjun’s knees hit the pavement hard, and he only keeps himself from crumpling to his hands by angling the crowbar down so it hits the ground first, holding his upper half up. He coughs at the impact, but doesn’t cry out.</p><p>“Renjun!” Donghyuck is at his side in an instant, both weapons clutched in his bandaged hand so he can touch Renjun’s shoulder without hurting him.  </p><p>Renjun grimaces, aching from his head to his feet as he pushes against the crowbar, forcing himself back up. He knows Donghyuck is hurt too, had seen the limp in his step even if he’d tried to hide it, so he has to be strong. “Just lost my footing,” he breathes as he stands.</p><p>Donghyuck’s eyes are clouded with as much worry as pain, and Renjun hates to see him like this. He brushes a gloved hand against Donghyuck’s. “We can’t stay here.”</p><p>Donghyuck nods. They know Jeno and Jaemin are coming with the truck, but they don’t know how long it will take for their friends to find them. They can’t stray from the road, but it’s too dangerous to stay where they are, injured and exposed.</p><p>Renjun eyes the treeline to their right, looking for low branches. He spots one, yards away. “Come on,” he says, linking a finger around one of Donghyuck’s. He takes a shaky step forward, and Donghyuck moves with him. </p><p>It takes a painfully long minute - or is it two? - before they reach the tree, but Donghyuck understands Renjun’s plan without him having to voice it, and moves into action the second they reach the tree trunk. </p><p>“I’ll boost you,” he says, hands free after sheathing his knife and stashing the screwdriver in his pocket. </p><p>Renjun nods, and then Donghyuck’s hands are on him, helping him up to the lowest branches until he has a firm enough grip to pull himself the rest of the way into the tree. Donghyuck passes Renjun’s crowbar up next, then jumps after him, dragging himself halfway onto a branch before Renjun hauls him up the rest of the way. </p><p>They catch their breath, perched precariously in the tree, clinging to the base and the branches. Renjun’s fingers tremble against the bark, and he can see Donghyuck’s arms shaking too.</p><p>“<em> Guys </em>,” a muffled voice whispers from behind Renjun. He flinches before realizing it’s Mark on the radio. </p><p>Lifting a shaky hand, he reaches back to his belt and unclips the radio again. “We’re here,” he says, pushing the talk button. </p><p>“Thank God,” Mark says. “Are you okay?”</p><p>Renjun looks at Donghyuck. His face is sweaty and covered in grime, there’s blood on his neck and on his hands. His clothes are filthy and one of his holsters is empty, but he’s <em> there </em>, in the tree with Renjun, legs pressed up against his as they huddle together in the branches. Donghyuck’s eyes are wide and haunted, but they’re still warm brown and shining with tears he won’t let fall. Renjun knows he looks the same. He feels the same.</p><p>But the pain means that they’re alive.</p><p>“Yeah,” he answers Mark. “Nothing we can’t handle.” His voice isn’t convincing when he says it, and he knows Mark doesn’t believe him, but there’s nothing either of them can do.</p><p>“Jeno and Jaemin just left,” Mark says. “We don’t know where you are, but they’re on the south road, and if you’re close enough to have signal back here, they should find you soon. Just hang in there, okay?”</p><p>“Oh we’re hanging all right,” Donghyuck says, a weak attempt to lighten the air.</p><p>Trying to be funny at a time like this… Renjun wants to scold Donghyuck almost as much as he wants to wrap his arms around Donghyuck and kiss him until he lets himself go enough to cry. Here and now, he can’t do either, so he just presses his thigh against Donghyuck’s and tells himself the contact is enough. </p><p>“I’m connecting you to the truck, okay?” Mark’s voice comes through the radio again.</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>“Stay safe,” Mark says. It’s an order and a plea at the same time.</p><p>“We will,” Renjun says. </p><p>The line crackles with static. After a beat of silence, Mark says, “Come home.” </p><p>Donghyuck’s thigh presses back against Renjun’s. “We will.” </p><p>The radio goes dead for a moment - Mark changing their connection - before it sputters back to life. “Jeno? Jaemin?”</p><p>“We’re coming!” Jaemin’s voice comes through the radio. “We’re on the road. Where are you guys? What do you see?”</p><p>“It’s all just trees,” Renjun says, “but we’ll see you when you get close.” </p><p>“Okay.” This time it’s Jeno’s voice. “Just hold on for us; we’re gonna get you back home.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Renjun murmurs, low enough that he hopes they won’t be able to hear the emotion in his voice.</p><p>“Of course,” Jeno says, and that’s that. The line goes silent.</p><p>Time drags on, slow as snow melting while they wait. The pain of Renjun’s injuries sets in full force, and he finds himself grinding his teeth to keep from making any sound that might let on how hurt he is. His grip on the radio goes white-knuckled, and he tries to focus on breathing in and out through his nose to distract himself from the aching, to focus on anything other than the starbursts of white hot pain blooming throughout his body.</p><p>“Hey,” Donghyuck whispers just when it’s starting to be too much for Renjun. </p><p>Renjun tilts his head, latches onto the sound of Donghyuck’s voice. </p><p>“Thank you,” Donghyuck says. The words are as warm as Donghyuck’s thigh where it’s pressed against Renjun’s.</p><p>“For what?” Renjun croaks around the lump in his throat.</p><p>“Just…” Donghyuck takes a shaky breath, and Renjun can tell he’s not the only one trying to push down pain. “Not giving up. For fighting with me.” His voice trembles just enough for Renjun to know he doesn’t just mean fighting off the dead. </p><p>“Of course,” he whispers, hoping Donghyuck knows he means it with every fiber of his being. “You too.” </p><p>“Course,” Donghyuck echoes. </p><p>They fall silent again, but it’s just the slightest bit easier to breathe in the cold air. Renjun is still hurt, afraid of what the world has turned into, unsure of what the future holds, but he’s not alone. Donghyuck is by his side, and that helps him stay strong.</p><p> </p><p>In another minute, Jeno and Jaemin will drive into sight in their truck. Donghyuck will see the movement and hiss for Renjun to radio them. The truck will pull up on the side of the road at the same time one of the creatures emerges in the woods, moaning a haunting tune right under where Renjun and Donghyuck are stuck in the tree. They won’t even get the chance to be truly afraid before the driver’s window of the truck rolls down and Jeno’s crossbow is aimed right for the creature’s head, before an arrow shoots out with deadly accuracy and the creature drops like a stone. </p><p>And Jaemin will burst out of the truck and hurry to help Renjun and Donghyuck jump down from the tree without hurting themselves any further, catching them with strong arms when they stumble on the ground, and ushering them into the backseat without delay. Jaemin will slip back into the truck and Jeno will pull a u-turn in the middle of the empty road before the passenger door is even all the way closed. </p><p>They’ll drive back to the safe house like a silver bullet streaking through the darkening air. Donghyuck will clutch Renjun as tight as he can without it hurting, and Renjun will stick to him like glue in the backseat, trembling but finally able to breathe. </p><p>Jeno and Jaemin won’t question them until they’re back to safety, won’t find out how a simple scouting run went so wrong until much later in the night, when Renjun and Donghyuck have come back from the crash that follows adrenaline and pain, and can hold hands without staining each other’s fingers red with blood. </p><p>Much, much later, Renjun will lay in bed with Donghyuck, finger intertwined, and press gentle kisses to his cheeks and his lips and the soft skin of his neck, and when Donghyuck finally lets himself cry, Renjun will cry with him. They’ll fall asleep together, and if they wake in terror in the night, they’ll stay pressed up against each other until sleep comes again. </p><p>When dawn breaks, they’ll face another day together. </p><p>They’ll live, despite everything. They’ll be together, and they’ll keep on living. </p><p>That has to be enough.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i just think its funny that zombies are like my top irrational fear and i literally have nightmares about them Multiple times a year but still sat down and wrote 5.5k of zombie fic JUST bc i have no impulse control</p></blockquote><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
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        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24142882">keep running when your world falls behind</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/shuijing/pseuds/shuijing">shuijing</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
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